Heaven

[Cymro]

There is a song entitled,' Are you ready for the judgment day.' I read an article last night by a Romanian brother in which this question was posed, 'Are you ready for heaven?' It challenged me. Now I suppose this is more pertinent to us of advanced age, but there is an old adage which counsels thus; death may be before the face of an old man, but also may be at the shoulder of a young man.
The Apostle Paul plainly was ready by stating, "to die is gain," and that he was ready to depart and to be with Christ which is far better. Someone of the past wrote, that the work of the Minister is to prepare his people for Glory. I have to ask myself, am I in sympathy with that kind of experimental readiness? Am I ready for heaven? Brethren and sisters, it would be gracious of you if you could share, how and in which way your preparation is taking.

 

[Zach]

I'm never preparing as I ought and being heavenly minded is an area in which I'd like to grow. That being said, one of the ways I find most helpful is in thinking on just how much better the new heavens and the new earth will be during both the good and bad parts of our day.

 

[SinnerSavedByChrist]

Brother, thank you for your reminder! I must never lose track this truth: that we are but pilgrims in this land, our heavenly abode is far better. Yet, we ought to make the most vehement war against sinful corruption by the power of His Holy Spirit, knowing that we were bought at a price by our loving Saviour who gave Himself for us!!!

To Die is gain. How often do I forget that!

 

[earl40]

I like the adage of "death may be before the face of an old man". May The Lord grant this adage to all of us for it is much easier to prepare as we grow older and our life on earth is obviously almost over. I am experiencing this much more now at 52 than I did at 26 and suspect I will much more prepared at 78 than at 52 because The Cook is preparing the meal to His liking. I work at a hospital and have found that the grace of being around death almost every day is a great gift that is used by God for the shaping of my thinking.

 

[irresistible_grace]

I am preparing my children for glory. Most days, I like to think that I'm prepared for heaven. I do desire to be in & bask in the glory of my Savior and to see His glory with my own resurrected eyes. From time to time my heart groans at the thought that my day will come sooner than the "world" says it should. At those times, I get scared that I have not done all I should have for my children's preparation. Oh how I desire the comfort of knowing that my children are also my brethren & sisters in Christ already. That they too might say, "to die is gain!"

 

[Vasahond]

So many good thoughts in this thread. Am I ready for Heaven? Oh, but I feel a far ways off -- the ultimate Preparer of my soul for Heaven is Christ, who shall continue to sanctify me until that final sanctifier and glorifier that He has employed -- physical death. I would suppose that in many ways, I could say "I'm not ready," and in others, and most certainly considering Christ, I am absolutely ready. For the time being, however, I pray that my own life would be used for His purposes upon the earth, and when He is done with me, what a delight it would be to be fully and finally called home.

But am I ready now? What a reminder this is -- that life, true life -- should ever be present on our minds. My reward now, and more so then, is Christ. I just hope He will use a willing servant for whatever it is that He will have him to do. And in many ways, I pray for a good life with Christ that is at enmity with the world and its ways. Either way, I feel like I'm just at the beginning, but it's sobering to consider that I may not be here tomorrow.

 

[Vladimir]

I am so blessed. When I tend to forget that I am just a passer-by here, the Lord graces me by reminding me what my existence was before I came to have eternal life. I was a rotten walking corpse of a man. When I think about that winter night when I was converted, I always remember the bones that Ezekiel commanded to come back to life.

It is a good question and a good topic for meditation. I forget that I live on borrowed time, and I keep too much of that which someday I won't be able to hold on to anymore.

Praise the Lord. I will be happy to see you, brothers and sisters, in our home.

 

[Cymro]

I have been convicted that my appreciation and desire for heaven for much of my Christian life has rested on sense
rather than faith. When one is converted, you automatically believe heaven is your final destination. There is a reliance
on sense rather than faith. A Scot worthy wrote, ' Faith that is built on sense may be compared to a house built on sand.'
But the only solid foundation for faith to rest and build on is the infallible promise of God. My faith should have been active in
tracing and chasing the promises of God respecting the glory that will be. I have neglected the operation of faith upon such
a promise that my Saviour gave, " I go to prepare a place for you.' Almost taking for granted that salvation mechanically
confers the blessedness of heaven.
In that way I feel that I have neglected to investigate, and truly appropriate by faith the glories of life that shall endless be.
The above worthy also wrote, 'It is no less an art, or virtue to keep the things that are purchased, than to purchase them.'
If the precious given gift of faith was really exercised in my Father's many mansions, and it really gripped my heart, then
my desires would be higher and swifter. The feet of my soul would hasten faster toward that abode than Ahimaaz sped with
good news to David. But I bless God that I can in the remaining days give more diligence to the heavenly calling.
"Because of life the fountain pure
remains alone with Thee;
And in that purest light of Thine
we clearly light shall see.

 

[Cymro]

Good to read Vladimir that your' Winter night', turned into a summer gospel day.

 

[Peairtach]

To medidate on glory is an important aspect of preparing for glory, because meditating on glory by the saint is used by the Spirit as an effective means of sanctification.

Let's often, on our journey to glory, then be like Moses going up Mount Pisgah, to survey our incredible and indescribable inheritance:

And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the Lord shewed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan, And all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, unto the utmost sea,And the south, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, unto Zoar. And the Lord said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither. So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day. (Deut 34:1-6)

 

[Rich Koster]

I have been working slowly, plodding, to get spots out of my garment. However, I know that only Christ will make it perfectly white, upon our meeting. God has given me many attitude adjustments. I only wish I would learn more quickly and not have to repeat so many lessons. One of my biggest problems is with family members and their claiming the name of Christ, while living no different from the world. It has caused us many collisions of the mind and unfinished business. I have also considered many an enemies commentary about myself. Analyzing conflicts can expose if I am the offense, they are the offense, or if the Gospel is the offense, or any combination of the three. I look forward to getting out of this stage of life, but my bride wants me around at least until the day she graduates. I expect to be surprised about the evaluation I receive too. Some things that I think are good will be found lacking. Some things I think I messed up on, I may get a well done for.

 

[a mere housewife]

I think I am learning every day, in spite of myself -- even in my sins and failures -- how to be near God; because He is so easy to be around, so peaceable and gentle and good and He gives us rest from ourselves. And I learn too even in the mistakes I am always making how to love my brothers and sisters -- how to esteem them, even still so full of faults as I am, better than my self -- how to apprehend in one another, underneath all the heartache of our sin, the grace triumphing that will one day be complete.